Synopsis

In Kyoto, apprentices known as maiko are skilled performers of traditional dance and song. It is said their elegance and grace leaves any audience entranced.

Mai Ichinose, Riko Kikuzuki, and Midori Aikawa are young girls who aspire to become maiko. They reside together in a geisha house to polish and perfect their skills, developing bonds of trust and supporting each other. However, their shared dream may prove disastrous for their friendship...

When they learn about an upcoming festival, they cannot help but get excited. But soon they realize only two maiko can represent each house. It is then that the three close friends become distant, seeking to prove who is most deserving of the role. Ultimately, they must choose between fulfilling their own dream—finally within reach—or keeping their treasured friendship alive.

A Maiko is a culturally rich art and connoisseurship of Japan, and as the anime suggests, especially of Kyoto. Then honestly, why not focus on what it entails to actually be one?
Pfft.. That was the failure of this OVA. It only mentioned in a passing glance that Maikos are culturally rich assets, but never bothered showing a Maiko's life.

Story 4/10
This show is about 3 girls who want to become Maikos. And it's just about their friendship.

Art 7/10
Still crowds and subtle movements, but pretty and detailed backgrounds. The setting is good. There's a show at the end, but I'd have preferred more, esp.
for an OVA that was to lead to that moment.

Sound 6/10
Should have had more traditional sounds. If it is awareness they want to create, there's hardly any through sounds. The seiyuus are good though. Each character's voice shows something about them.. heavy, light, off-beat. But definitely could have been better, even the dialogues.

Character 3/10
Utterly basic. I mean, how many times have we not seen petty fights. Grow out of it. Else, show a petty fight in a new way with fresh dialogues and more character revealing situations. Compare this with Harmonie, and that has such a stark development in the exact same time. This was verrrry slow. If this had a TV series, I'd be bored to death. They try imitating Hanasaku Iroha, and miserably fail. If Hanasaku's characters were to become Maikos, oh, what a wonder we'd have seen!!

Enjoyment 4/10
I'm not sure what I enjoyed here. Maybe the art? Or just waiting for something to happen? haha

Overall 5/10
It's good to watch if you're craving anime and have nothing around. Just a time-pass. It's not informative, the story is dead, the characters are wheee-happy with a OMG what's happening! in between. So... you get the point. Take it up if you're waiting for something and you got half an hour to spare.

A random watch of mine that felt like a waste of time but to be honest better then expected.

This is a 1 episode short story that follows 3 girls as they practice and strive to become Maikos. The show covers what the girls do to practice and do while they are getting ready for an upcoming festival.

The charcters are a nice bunch of teenage girls, there superior Maikos, and elderly teachers. They are all well designed and easy to like.

The music consists mostly of a piano that plays calmly during the show to set a perfect mood.

Art is nice and average. It is nothing spectacular
or crappy. I will complment the backgrounds of the city though as they look quite nice.

This OVA is nothing to be going in as if its a 10/10 anime. So I suggest just watching it as a show to pass by the time and learn a little bit about Japanese heritage.

Mitsuwano is a story of three young Geisha apprentices (called Maiko), Riko, Midori and Mai, partaking in an upcoming festival. Being only one episode long (about 30 minutes), it is really a condensed version of something that could easily run a full season.

Opting for a one episode OVA, the pacing is rather fast. It unfortunately skips a lot of character development. How did the three meet? How did they become such close friends? What was their back stories? Too bad none of these were explored in any details.
What we get is a small arc of an overall story. In all honesty, it barely touches the surface.

The main take away is that all three Maiko are training hard for an upcoming festival. However, a shopkeeper tells them that only two of them will be chosen for a role in the performance. Hence, the three friends now become competitors. This ends as well as any slice-of-life anime would end. Honestly, the story is not something spectacular. In fact, I think it leans towards the cliche side of story telling. I really wish it would at least run another two or three episodes, letting the viewers in on the everyday lives of a Maiko and the path they take to become a fully fledged Geisha, a centuries old profession that is getting less and less attention in the 21st century.

The Gion district is more or less depicted in Mitsuwano. Everything in the world of Geisha is so delicate and organized. The art shows that organization in great details. The shops are clean, everything is in order, nothing seems out of place. The kimono is brightly colored and fit for purpose.

For those who have been to Kyoto (and the Kansai region in general) will notice the details given to the dialogs of the characters in Mitsuwano. The Kansai dialect is very noticeable and there are even a few occasions where one of the girls got scolded for not using the correct dialect. It is such details that make Mitsuwano watchable.

Overall, Mitsuwano is not a bad anime, but as I have said throughout this review, one episode is not nearly enough to give the characters and story the time it needs to grow and foster a relationship with the viewer. A longer format, or even a feature film would do it better justice. Whatever the reason that was decided to release Mitsuwano in this format, don't let the short duration put you off. The art is appealing, it is full of little details that make you think that the creators really did their research. The subject matter is interesting, albeit it is probably more relevant in Japan than in the rest of the world. Watch it for what it is.